The presence of insects in the home, garage, office, etc. has always been regarded as a nuisance. Although it is possible to kill such insects by swatting, this is not always possible. It can also lead to broken or damaged items (e.g., windows, lamp shades, etc.) if not carefully done. Then it is still necessary to dispose of the dead insect.
Various devices have previously been described for use in capturing or exterminating insects. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 289,997; 1,517,131; 3,196,577; and 3,965,608. Some of such devices capture the insect live, while some devices actually exterminate the insect. Some of the devices must attract the insect in some manner (e.g., with a light beam). However, not all insects can be attracted in this manner. Also, many of the prior devices require the use of batteries or other power supplies; other devices are complicated in design and cumbersome in use. U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,997 describes a suction gun for capturing small aquatic life, but it does not appear to be suitable for capturing insects in the atmosphere.
There has not heretofore been provided a hand-held, portable device for capturing insects which is manually operated, economical to manufacture, and which includes a disposable trap.